A Level results day: Departing Hulme Principal salutes 'superb' results

Date published: 18 August 2022

Following two years of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this summer’s A Levels have returned to traditional examinations.

This morning Oldham Hulme Grammar School staff celebrated with their Year 13 cohort, who have achieved superb results.

These young people did not have the opportunity to sit their GCSE papers and have endured a significant amount of upheaval over the course of the last three academic years.

Despite these difficult circumstances, Hulme staff are delighted with the efforts of their students who achieved a 100% pass rate and 71% A*-B grades.

The students will now be taking up their places on their competitive university courses this autumn.

There were many outstanding individual sets of results, with Hulme's top performer, Lewis Marshall, being awarded 2x A* and 2x A grades.

Six more students - Ibrahim Butt, Rachel Green, Hannah Lillis, Zeb Sagar, Afif Sajid, and Mohammad Uneeb - all achieved at least 2x A* and 1x A grade.

Hannah, who achieved an A* in psychology, an A* in English and an A in drama, told the Chronicle: "I'm so very happy.

"I'm absolutely shocked, but I've put in the work to get these results so I'm glad that's all paid off in the end.

"I'm going to Leeds Uni now, and hopefully eventually I'll get my doctorate in educational psychology and become an educational psychologist.

"That's the plan anyway."

Zeb, who achieved an A* in economics, an A* in psychology and an A in Spanish, said: "I can't believe it, but like Hannah said, I've definitely worked hard for this, especially given the uncertainty surrounding our GCSE's and not sitting them.

"That was in the back of my head, but I've done it now.

"I'm going to study law and Spanish law at King's College in London now.

"I've not really thought too much about that so far, I just wanted to get in first, but I've just spent a month running round Ikea and places like that to see what I need to get!"

Zeb hopes to eventually become a barrister, either in England or Spain.

Rachel achieved A*s in psychology and chemistry, and an A in biology.

She said: "I'm over the moon, I'm buzzing.

"I'm just glad all of my hard work has paid off.

"It's been a really tough couple of years, but school have been really great in keeping us going.

"We've all supported each other, and just kept going basically."

Rachel is also off to Leeds University, to study medicine.

A total of 29% of the cohort achieved at least one A* grade and 20% of Hulme's students achieved at least 3x A grades.

Hulme Principal Craig Mairs, who leaves the school this year, said: “There has been a significant amount of national comment on education throughout the pandemic and the grading standards of the last three years.

"Much of this commentary has failed to focus on the efforts of the students affected by the crisis.

"At Oldham Hulme Grammar School our focus is on the individual, across our ability range.

"We are very proud of the resilience, ingenuity and good humour demonstrated by our Year 13 cohort.

"They, and their dedicated teachers, thoroughly deserve this success.

"We are delighted that they have secured their competitive university places and wish them every success with the next stage of their education.”

Mr Mairs (pictured below), who joined Hulme 26 years ago as a student teacher, has just accepted a new post as Principal of an upper school in County Down, Northern Ireland, where he's originally from.

He takes up that role after Christmas.

Reflecting on his time at Hulme, he said: "It's great to be returning to my roots.

"I'll take so many happy memories with me, and today in particular I'm delighted to see so many people's hard work paying off.

"The dedication of the staff has been amazing.

"There was considerable disruption to education throughout the pandemic, but here we were able to do live lessons very quickly for ur students, and we feel that's stood them in good stead.

"The staff have always worked so incredibly hard here, many of them with their own young families at home, trying to cope."

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